Texas Mom of 10 Boys Prays for a Baby Girl – Dies 11 Days after Giving Birth to Her First Daughter

Welcoming a child after long anticipation is undoubtedly one of the most emotional experiences. However, following the child’s birth, a family’s joy can quickly turn to sadness, and this story proved it.

The arrival of a new baby is exciting — newborns represent life, hope, and the promise of love. It is the moment much awaited by parents and especially by the family. This is because it is a new life, generated for months with love, care, and patience.

The moment a child is born, the mother immediately forgets the pain of pregnancy and childbirth and clings to her newborn. This feeling is even more unexplainable when a child arrives, after much waiting and anticipation. 

An example is that of a mother who has a series of boys and welcomes a baby girl after waiting so long. The above was the case of Sonya Harlow and her husband of eight years; they celebrated the arrival of their long-anticipated daughter.

Unfortunately, a few days after the baby’s birth, the family’s joy was turned to mourning. Here are the details of the emotional story.

INSIDE SONYA’S LIFE/PREGNANCY JOURNEY

Sonya Harlow had prayed to have a baby girl for the longest time. She and her husband, Spencer Harlow, a U.S. Army veteran, had ten boys, some together and some from their previous relationships.  

A few years into her marriage to Spencer, Sonya took in again. This time, she was pregnant with a girl and could not be happier. Like many pregnancies, hers came with health complications such as high blood pressure. 

In addition, Sonya had other health issues which stopped her from working in the healthcare industry as an admissions director. She endured all of these until she finally welcomed her beautiful first daughter on November 5, 2020.

Indeed, it was a surreal moment for the proud mom and her husband. Not long after the baby’s birth, Sonya and Spencer came up with the perfect name for their daughter. The latter told Bluebonnet News:

“She had all boys before this, and she prayed for a girl. We named our daughter Eliyanah, and she is God’s answer to our prayers. Eliyanah means ‘God has answered.'” 

SONYA’S TRAGIC DEMISE

Unfortunately, on November 16, 11 days after Eliyanah’s birth, Sonya passed away. Recalling the circumstances surrounding her death, Spencer made it known that around 2 a.m., he woke up and heard his wife making sounds of distress.

“I rolled over and could see she was dying. We did CPR on her until the paramedics arrived, but she had flatlined by then. It was too late,” Spencer explained.

It was a devastating moment for the husband, who was left to cater to the boys and Eliyanah. Spencer described Sonya as a good wife and the prettiest woman he had ever met. In his words:

“Sonya was such a good woman and wife. She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. She was so vibrant and full of life. She was loving, kind, and caring.”

Spencer was only one out of the many people affected by Sonya’s death. Nancy Leger Davie, the deceased’s best friend of 17 years, was also taken aback by her friend’s death. “I don’t know how I’m going to live my life without her. She’s been a huge part of my life,” Davie said.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR SONYA’S FUNERAL

Following Sonya’s death, Spencer revealed that there was no life insurance or money set aside for her funeral, as her demise was unexpected. So, Davie set up a GoFundMe page with a $10,000 goal to assist the Harlow family.

“Having not been able to work for several months before giving birth, her husband has been supporting all [10 kids] on his income alone,” she wrote on the GoFundMe page.

“Since this was so unexpected, there’s no life insurance or money set aside. Any money raised will be used towards funeral expenses/headstone. And if there’s anything left over, it will be used to care for her children,” she continued.

Thankfully, well-meaning individuals donated, and Davie raised $46,603. Sonya’s funeral was held on November 24, 2020, at the Greater Faith Apostolic Church in Dayton.

ANOTHER TRAGIC TALE

In another unfortunate circumstance, on August 15, 2021, Paige Ruiz passed away from Covid-19 complications a few days after giving birth to her second daughter.

A CNN report revealed that the deceased’s mother had advised her to take a Covid-19 vaccine, but Ruiz was scared it might hurt her unborn baby.

Unfortunately, when Ruiz was nine months pregnant, she tested positive for coronavirus. Not long after her diagnosis, she was due for delivery and eventually welcomed her second daughter, Celeste, through a C-section.

After her baby was born, Ruiz’s mother, Robin Zinsou, said they separated the mother and child due to the virus. However, the doctors arranged a video chat for the mother to see her baby, and a few days later, Ruiz died. “It was my worst fear,” Zinsou explained.

Following Ruiz’s death, her family set up a GoFundMe account to help raise money for her funeral. Although Zinsou was mourning the loss of her daughter, she urged the public to stick to Covid-19 guidelines.

Anomama